Garment-stretching frame



(No Model.)

. A. E. 1?.HELPS. GARMENT -S'JIRETGYEIING FRAME. I

N0. 569,885. Patented 00a. 20, 1896.

ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT l FFlCE.

GARMENT-STRETCHING FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,885, dated October 20, 1896. Application filed July 17, 1895. Serial No. 556,275. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. Pnnnrs, of Irvington-on-the-Hudson, in the county of WVestchester and State of New York, have invented. a new and Improved Garment Drying and Stretching Frame, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device for preventing woolen garments from shrinking when being washed; and to this end the-invention consists in a peeuliar1y-constructed frame capable of carrying the garment and of retaining its shape and size, so as to prevent the garment from shrinking when it dries.

lhe invent-ion will be IlIOIB'fllllY described hereinafter, and finally embodied in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a preferred form of device for stretching woolen shirts. Fig. 2 is a dissociated view of a modification. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the form which is adapted for holding drawers, and Fig. at is a dissociated view of this form.

Referring to Fig. l, the reference-letter czindicates two lengths of galvanized-iron wire, which are constructed to have a spring tendency and are bent at their upper ends to form eyes i) and at their lower ends to form eyes 0, they having at a point near their upper ends return-bends cl, which form the arms of the device.

I provide a plate 2 for use with the upper' ends of the wires a, and this plate is formed with slots f in its ends which receive the eyes I), the eyes being held in place by means of pins and chains g. The plate e is provided with four slots, two at each end, and by means of this duplication the distance between the ends of the wires a may be regulated.

For cooperation with the lower ends of the wires 0. I provide a second plate h, which has openings 11 therein through which the lower ends of the wires to pass, and these ends are held at the eyes 0 by means of pins and chains k, similar to the pins 9 of the plate e. Formed in the wires Ct at points just below the bends d are eyes Z, which have the brace m connected therewith, and by these means the two wires are held apart.

The form of the device illustrated in Fig. 2 is a duplicate of that shown in Fig. 1, excepting that the brace m is dispensed with, and in this view the parts are shown dissociated to facilitate clearness. The plate (2 in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with a staple 0, whereby the device may be suspended.

The form shown in Figs. 3 and a has plates- 11. and 0, each having slots 0 and n, respectively, and chains and pins 1'). Held between the plates n and 0 are two wires g, which have their upper ends formed with eyes q, which are respectively adapted to be passed through the openings 0 in the plate 0 and to be held by the pins and chains thereof. The remaining end of each wire (1 is bent upwardly and thence inwardly to form an arm 5, which has the eye 5' formed at its extremity, and said eye is made to slidably embrace the straight or main portion of the wire, so that by moving the eye up and down on the wire the distance between the arm 5 and the straight por tion will be increased or decreased. Embracing the upper straight portion of each Wire q is an expansive spiral spring t, which bears upon the eye 5 and tends to spread the arm 8, so as to increase the distance between it and the straight portion of the wire. By these means the garment which is held on the frame of Figs. 3 and a will be stretched. The plate 0 has an eye 0 similar to the eye 6 in Figs. 1 and 2, and also used to suspend the frame.

All the parts of which my invention is composed are preferably formed of galvanized iron or other non-corrosive metal, so that the acids of soap and other detergents will not destroy them.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a garment stretching frame, two plates, two garment-receiving wires held by the plates, an arm fixed to one end of each wire, and slide bly connected with the main portion of the respective wires, and springs connected to the wires and engagingthe arms, substantially as described.

2. In a garment -stretching frame, two plates each having an opening at each end,

garment-receiving Wires, means for holding said wires in the openings of the plates, arms formed on the wires and slidably connected to the main portions thereof, and expansive springs embracing the main portions of the Wires and engaging the arms, substantially as described.

3. A garment-stretching frame having two plates each end of Which is perforated, a flexi- IO ble connection attached to each end of each plate, a pin carried by each flexible connection, and two garment receiving members each having two eyes, the eyes being respectively proj ected through the perforations in the ends of the plates and engaged by the respective pins, substantially as described. ALBERT E. PHELPS. lVitnesses:

LAURENCE J. KIERNAN, JOHN HARVEY. 

